Sewing-machine.



H. H. FEFELL. SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. I, 1913.

mama Mar. 6, 1917.

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.H. H. FEFELL.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APII. I, I9I3 Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

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SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l. 1913. 1,217,929.

Patented Mar. 6,1917,

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HENRY E. FEFELL, 0F GINCINNATI, OHIO; ASSEGNOR QF ONE-HALF' T0' BENJAMINT.

" STRING, OF NORWOOD, OHIO'.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5c, reir.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Re it kimwn` that I, HENRY H. FEF-ELL,

a citizeny of the United States, residing at' Cincinnati, in the coun-tyof Hamilton and State of Ghio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sewing-Machines, of which the following is aspeciiication.

My invention relates tovtwo-thread sewing machines of the character ofthose in which the threads are caused to interloop in the absence of thepassage of the supply end of either thread through the loop.

It is the object of my invention toprovide means for imparting a novelmovement to the looper; further, to provide novel mea-ns for adjustingthe movement of the' looper; further, to provide novel means for timingthe movements of the looper with relation" to the needle; further, toprovide novel stitch-forming mechanism ;4 further to provide novel meansfor controlling the passage of the needle thread; further to providenovel operating means for the looper; further to provide novel feedingmeans for the material; further, to provide novel ad'- justing means forsaid feeding means; and, y

further, to provide novel tensioning means for the needle-thread.

The invention will be further readily understood from the followingdescription and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my imgfroved device, part of the 1frame being brel-:cn away for better illustration' of the parts. y

Fig. 2 is bottom view of the same. Fig. is a head end elevation of`improved device, with the needle-bar raised. Fig. is a head endelevation of my improved device, with parts of the frame omit.-

ing the mechanism atlonelimit of adjustmen-t for loca-tingl the positionof the path ofl travel of the looper-eye, in full? lines, and

the opposite limit of said adjustment, inV

dottedhk lines, the normal widths of said paths being exaggerated.

Fig. 1-1 is a plan view exempliiication ofy the paths of'travel of theVlooper-eye atthe. respective exemplified limits of adjustment of lengthof the operating lever.

Fig. 12 is an aXi-al section taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 7, sho-wingthe eccentricl adjusting connection for' the supporting leverl of' thelooper lever.

Fig. 13'- is a crosssectionof the same, on the line 13--13v of Fig. 6.

.'Figs. 14, 16, 18 and 20 are plan detail views showing variousrelations between the looper andy the needle. Y

Figs. A15, 17, 19I and 21 are end elevations ofthe same, respectively.

Fig. 22 is a vertical section on thel axial line of the needle, showingthe needle penetrating the material and the formation of theneedle'loop.

F'g; 23 is a horizontal central section of the. looper and needle,showing theirA eyes in coincident horizontal planes and showing thesecuring means ofthe looper on the looper'lever;

Fig.. 24 is a horizontal detail in section on lthe line 24-24 of Fig. B,showing the tensioning means for theneed'le-thread between the 'takesupand needle; and,

Fig. 25 is a vertical longitudinal central section= of the spooltension.

31 represents the frameof the machine in which a: driveshaft 82 isjournaled in bearings 33, 34. This drive-shaft is shown as a crank-shaft'having a Vcrank 35 therein. It is arranged to have suitable drivingmechanism secured thereto, as exemplified bythe pulley 36.V

A needle-bar 37 reciprocates in bearings 38, 39, in the overhangingheadf40vof a bracket 41. (See Figs. 1 and 4.) A pitman 42A is'articulated at 43 to the needle-bar and to a crank-pin 44' on acrank-disk 45 secured-` to the drive-shaft.

A presser-foot 47 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 4), reciprocates in a bearing 48in the overhanging' head and* in a thimb-le 49 adjustable up and down ina threaded bearing 50 in said overhanging head. A wiper 53 is thimble.

` The needle-thread is shown at 61, and in the present exemplificationis arranged to be fed `from a spool 62 secured to a taperbushing 63,(see Figs. 1 and 25), the hole of the spoolbeing slipped over thetaperbushing so as to be held tight frictionally by the bushing. rlhebushing has a flange 64. A spring1 .65 controls the tension of theneedle-thread at the spool, being received over the flange 64 and.adjusted by means of anadjusting screw 66, the spring being aleaf-spring rigidly secured to the frame by a clamp-screw 67, acoil-spring 68 being shown between the head of the adjusting screw andthe leaf-spring. Washers 69, 70, preferably ont cloth, are preferablyrespectively received between the ange 64 and the spring 65 and betweenthe iange 64 and the base 71 from which a stem 72 eX- tends, the bushingbeing received loosely about said stem.

rllhe needle-thread passes through direct-l ing holes 7 5, V76, betweenwhich a take-up stand 77 is located, (see Figs. 1, iand 4), a take-upspring 78 being arranged to bear upon the needle-thread in certain partsof the movements of the mechanism. "lhe upper end of the needle-bar isformed-as a reciprocating taire-up 79, being provided with athread-contact part 80 received loopwise about the take-up stand.

rlhe needle-thread is arranged further, in the present exemplillcation,(see Figs. 1 and 24), to pass through a needle-thread tension device 81between the take-up device and the needle, instanced as leaf-springs 82,82, located between lingers 83, 83, each provided with a threadguide-slot 85. lThe leafsprings are secured to 'the front-cap 87 of themachine head by means of a clamp-bar 88 secured in place by aclamp-screw 89. An adjusting-screw 90 is adapted t0 bear against thesprings for adjusting their tension and the normal rictional engagementthereoi2 with the needle-thread. r1`he cap is held to the head by thebolt 91.

The frictional resistance of these springs upon the thread is normallyslight, but is arranged at certain parts of the movements or' themechanisms z'. e. upon piercing movement of the looper-loop by theneedle (see Figs. 17 and 19), to ac't to retard or hold theneedle-thread, when the loop of the needle-thread has slipped olf thelooper, in order to aid in setting` said loop of the needle-thread. Thistension upon the needle-thread is accomplished by means ofl a plug 94ladapted to flex said springs for increasing their frictional hold uponIthe thread.

rFhe plug is shown reciprocating in a bearing 95 in the cap 87, itsouter end being provided with an enlargement 96 for preventing loss ofthe plug and its inner end arranged to be contacted by a cam 97adjustably located on the needle-bar by a setscrew 98 (see Figs. 1, 4and 24).

rlhe needle-thread is arranged to pass tarther through a guide-hole 98on the front cap and a guide-slot 99 on the needle-bar and through theeye 100 of the .needle 101, secured in the needle-bar, as by means of aset-screw 102. '(See Figs. 1, 3 and 22.)

rlhe neet le, in the present exemplilication, is shown as having its eyeprojected in a line substantially parallel with the line ot feed of thematerial, the said line o1 feed being indicated by the arrow a. (SeeFig. rit its front, the needle has a long thread-receiving groove 104,extending upwardly from the needle-eye, and at its rear it has a shortthread-receiving groove 105 extending upwardly from its needle-eye, andabove the latter it further has a long thread-receiving groove 106, thegrooves 105, 106, being separated by a hump 107. rllhe 105, 106, formsubstantially a long groei-'e interrupted adiacent its lower end by thehump. The object otv the hump is to throw the seam-limb of theneedle-thread, which has penetrated the goods, rearwardly adjacent tothe bight of the penetrated portion or' the needle-thread, for forming aloop 108 upon the ascent of the needle, this loop, as hereinafterexplained, being arranged to be received by the loop-er. The object oitthe long groove 106 is to permit piercing oit the material by the needlewithout undue 'i between the seam-limb of the needle-tl'iread and theneedle upon reciprocation oil the needle. ylhe object ot the groove 104is to prevent undue friction between the supply-limb of theneedle-thread and the material in the reciprocating movement of theneedle through the goods.

11 is a looper, which also acts as a looptaker, looping about the needleand taking the loop the needle-thread.- This looper is ringed to bethreaded with a looperthread 112 through ancye 118 ol" the looperadjacent the loop-piercing end 114 thereof, (see Figs. 14 to 21 and Fig.23). The is located in a linger 115 of the looper which also has athread-groove 116 therein, the base of the having a thread-hole 117therein, through which the looper-thread 112 is received (see Figs. 14to 20), from a suitable source' of supply, indicated as a spool 118,mounted and tensioned as described in connection with the needle-threadspool, the several parts thereof being indicated by similar but primedreference numerals.

Y object bei-ng tomaintain` the sides ofthis.

The' groove. 116 is; located a snbstanf. tia-lly straight Wall 1193- ofthe finge-r, the: eye

113 being in an enlargement 120 of said. finger, the entering point..v11l1bein-g atv one: `side of said enlargement, andr a reduced materialsupporting plate; 126 of the frame and a hole 127 in said plateextending lengthwise of said plate and opening eldia.-r centtothe-looper for delivering said thread at said looper, and. is acted on!adjacent to a throat 128 of a. throat-plate 129.

The looper-l'nger has'a substantially el-lip tical path of movement,this path beinevv in,n

amt-ea. by the dotted me iai, (ieee righ),

which indicates more particularly the path of the eye of the looper.provided; for adjusting the minor axis; ot this substantially ellipticalpath soy as to locate the sides: of the path! of the looperfin-gercloser to or farther from the longitudinal projection of the needle, a`wider. path being indicated in Fig. 11 at 132, the

path asv close to the' needle` as the conditions of operation willpermit, especially at thel advancing movement of the loopcr, this.advancing movement being more l nearly; straight, as shown at 13:16 and132, than the retracting movement thereof, so. that thepoint of thelooper will be properly and eifecti-vely received in theA loop of theneedle-thread.

l have alsoE found it. advisable to provide means for adjusting theposition:` of the path of nie-vement of the eye of the loopcr withrelation to theV longitudinal projection of thel needle, that is, theaxial line of the needle.,y so as to locate thel majorpart of the pathto the right; and front or tov the left and rear of the longitudinalprojection of the needle, as` indicated by the light and heavy linesrespectively in` Fig. l0.. The means whereby this is accomplishedandwhereby the movement ofthe looper is effectedv and adjnsted and timedwill nowY -bey described.

136 is a. shaft journaled in bearings 1,37., 138, in theV mai-n frame,and has a cra-nkarm- 169: thereon. (See Figs.` 1, 2., 5.-, 67, 8 and 9).lOis a rockingpi-tmanV for driving the shaft 136- frem the crank 35 ofthe operating shaft. This pi-tman (see Figs. 1

and 5,-), which acts as a lever, has a bearing; 141 about the cra-nk anda variable speed connectien with the shaft 136,A exemplified: as ai slotand pin connection' at the latter shaft and a varying pivot connectioninter- Adjustment is Y mediate of its` ends. In the present exempli`fica-tion. the crank-arm 139: is provided with a slot 142 in which adrive-pin 14:3 is received. and has sliding connection,` for retardingfthe rota-.tion of the shaft 136 dur#k ing the mcvernent of the.crank-arm-y through the upper part of its rotation, (see Figs.. 8 and91), thereby providingfa variable speed device for the looper. 1114:-isV a: stud on the main fra-meV on Which a block 145V is pivoted, thepitman bei-ngv provided with a slot 1&6. theI Walls 'of which have;sliding connection withv the block.

151 is a lever pivoted on a screvT 15'2 secured to the main frame. (SeeF igs.. 2, 3,4, 6, 7, 8 and 9).. A lever 158, instanced as anangle-lever in bell-crank form, is pivoted to the leverV 151 by astud-screw 1:54. Means are( provided for' driving each of these` leversfrom: the shaft 136, shown; inthe form of eccentric connections, theeccen tries being so timed as to move-the levers.

indissimilar relations for effecting movements of the looper 111, whichis located on the lever 158, as by having its shankl 155` received, in ahole 156v the end of the. lever 153, (see Fig. 23)-, the shank beingclamped 1n place by a set-screw 15.?. 'lh-is construction permitsadjustment Vof the looper about the a-X-isof the shank and alsopositions the looper in and'out with rela.- tion to the pivot of thelever.

The eccentric connections mentioned are instanced as an eccentric 161 onthe shaft 13.6: about which a strapv 162. of a link 163v is received,the link having operative` connec'tiony with. the leverl 151.v (SeeFigs.. 2.,. 6, 72 8l and 9)..` I haveinstanced this. link' asa two-partlink, so` as toI permit adjustment of its length, mainly however for thepurposes of assembling,4 instanced as the parts 164, 165, havingthreaded? connection 166, 167, locked in place by a; lock-nut 168-.

The connection between this` link and the lever 151 is preferably anadjustable connection, (see also. Figs. 12. and 13) this adjustableconnection being instanced as a connectionV for varying the length oftheV lever and for varying its positions ofV limits of movement.. lThisi's.- instanced asacrank.- block 171. having a crank-pin 172J thereon.The crank-pin is received in a bore 1731 in the lever 151', in which itisy lengthwise positioned and clamped in place by ai set-screw 174:. Thecrank-block has a pin 175. thereon having a rounded head 17 6 received.in a roundedl recess; in. a bushing 177, clamped. in a split-bearing-1Z8- in the link 163i by` means of a clamp-screw 179;.

The means for'operating; the levcr153 is:

similar to the meansfdescribed fory operatingV the lever 15:1 and isinstaneedl as an ec-A prising the parts 184, 185, having threadedconnections 186, 187, between the same, and a lock-nut 188. Y

The power end of the lbell-crank lever is provided with a plug 189having a rounded portion 190 about which Va bushing similar to thebushing 177 is received, this bushing being clamped in a split-bearing191 by means of a clamp-screw 192. This construen tion permits rockingmovement between the links and the power' of said levers. Figs. 6 and 7,and Figs. 8 and 9, indicate the respective limits of movement of theparts.

The constructions just described impart a substantially elliptical pathof travel to the looper, and this path of travel further preferably hasone of its sides flattened, or describes a path more nearly parallel tothe maj or axis of the substantially elliptical path, during theloop-taking stretch of movement of the loop-taker, whereby l am enabledto cause the looper to move in a path close to the needle during itsloop-taking movement without at the same time causing friction betweenthe needle and the looper or causing interference between the looper andneedle. It also imparts a closed path of movement to the looper, andpermits a substantial retarding of the looper at a portion of its pathwhile the needle maintains its speed of its reciprocating motion, sothat the needle will complete the upward portion of its travel andarrive at the looper at its proper time for piercing the loop formed bythe looper-thread in the retracting movement of the looper, in otherwords, the looper is retarded in its movement so as to wait upon theneedle, so that upon the descent of the lat-ter, the looper-eye will bein the correct position for having the needle act upon thelooper-thread.

Referring to the motion imparted by the pitman from the drive-shaft tothe lower shaft, (see F ig. 5), the drive-shaft rotates continuously ata given rate of speed. rlhe slip-connection between the drive-shaft andthe lower-shaft causes uniform movement of the lower shaft with thedrive-shaft throughout those portions of the rotation of the drive-shaftat which the crank-pin is radially equi-distant from the axis ofrotation of the lower shaft. equi-distance is during that portion of thetravel of the needle at which the needle is in substantially itslowermost position and in the forepart of its ascending movement andwhile the looper is acting to take the loop of the needle-thread. (SeeFigs. 6 and 7 This imparts a 'quick motion to the looper during itsloop-taking function.

This loop-taking function takes place on the initial portion of theascent of the needle, the next function of the looper being to arrangethe looper-thread in position to be pierced at the final portion of thenext derllhis substantialL Y scending movement of the needle. Foraccomplishing this it is necessary for the needle to pass through by farthe greatest portion of its movement, while at the same time it isnecessary for the looper to pass through by far the smaller portion ofits movement, the crank-pin 148 passing lengthwise of the slot'liQ. (SeeFigs. 8 and 9.) ln order, therefore, to relatively vtime thes movements,1 provide the variable speed device, which 1 have described.

To illustrate the relative movements of the needle and looper, andreferring to Figs. 14 to 21 inclusive, Figs. 14 and 15 representrespectively a top and an end view of the needle and looper positions atwhich the needle is beginning its looper-loop piercing movement. In thisposition the needlethread loop 108 is about the finger of the looper,the said loop passing through a previously formed set-loop of thelooper-- thread, and the thread-eye of the looper is advanced throughsaidneedle-thread loep to a position in advance of said needlethreadloop, carrying the looper-thread with it through the needle-thread loopin the formation of the looper-loop 193.

Figs. 16 and 17 represent respectively a plan view and an end view ofthe next main step in the formation of the stitch, showing the needle inlooper-loop penetrating position, the looper being partially retracted,and the loop of the needle-thread about to slip off the finger of thelooper. lt is just subsequent to this position that the supply portionof the needle-thread is acted on by the tension device 81 for holdingthe same and causing the needle in its further descent to draw upon theneedle-loop just formed for beginning the setting of the Figs. 18 and 19represent respectively a plan view and an end view at the next mainposition of the needle and looper, which is at a point immediatelysubsequent to the point of farthest descent of the needle and farthestlimit of retraction of the looper. 1t will be noticed that the looperhas now looped its thread about the needle, preparatory to its nextadvancing movement, to take the loop formed in the seam-end of theneedle-loop. Y

Figs. 20 and 21 represent respectively a plan View and an end view ofthe next main step in the relation of the needle and looper, instancedas the loop-penetrating movement of the looper. The needle at this pointhas begun its ascent, whereby the seam-limb of the loop of theneedle-thread has been thrown out by the hump 107 in the rear groove ofthe needle, for permitting the same to be taken by the looper.

The looper will now have passed through the greater portion Vof its pathof movement, while the needle will lhave passed 'through only a smallportion of its Yrange of movement. It is at this point that the variableyspeed ldev-ice hereinbefore described (see Figs. 3, 8 and 9) becomeseffective, vfor retarding the movement of the looper for varying itsspeed and allowing it toY wait upon the needle, which `must meanwhilepass up and ldown throughout the greater portion of its range Iofmovement, so that when the needle again arrives at the position shown inFigs. 14 and 15, the looper will have passed through only a shortportion of its path to be in position to Ihave its loop pierced by theneedle.

It will be noted that throughout these variations Vthat there isthroughout a comparativ'ely small movement of the looper 'about thelongitudinal projection 4of the axis,

or aXial line, of the needle, thereby avoiding the necessity of take--upmechanism for 4the looper-thread.

196 is a feeding-foot reciprocating and movable up and down in thematerial support and is suitably secured to a feedingfoot lever 197,which has a slot 198 therein, in which an'eccent'ric pin 199 on thelower shaft operates. The upper and lower Walls of the 'slot arecontacted by the eccentricpin for raisin and lowering the feedingfoot,and the slot is of such length `as 'to permit the eccentric-pin to movelengthwise thereof for imparting the least feeding movement desired.v(See Figs; 1, 2, 3 `and 4.) The forward end of the lever has an end*-slot 200 in which a pivot-screw 201 is received, the pivot-screw beingsecured to the frame. 202 is a spring received about screws 203, 204,respectively on the frame and on the feeding-foot lever, for normallydrawing the lever forward and causing a cushionblock 205 to contact theeccentric-pin.

The forward movement of the feedingfoot lever is limited by thecushion-contact part 206 on a lengthwise slidable bar 207 slidable in abearing 20S through which a limiting-screw 209 is received through adiagonal slot 210 in the lengthwise slidable bar. A positioning-block211 is received through a slot 212 Vin the frame, lengthwise of which itmay be clamped by a clampscrew 213, the positioning-block havingarticulation with the lengthwise slidable bar, as shown by thepivot-screw 214.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sewing machine employing a reciprocating needle, the combinationof a looper, a lever on which said looper is located, a lever on whichsaid last-named lever is pivoted, eccentric means for rocking Vsaidlevers, the power end of `said lastznamed lever being 'adjustable inlength.

2. In a sewing machine employing apreciproca'ting needle, thecombination of a looper, a lever' on which said looper is located, alever on which said last-named lever is pivoted, means for rcel-:ingsaid levers, yand means whereby the power end of said second-named leveris adjustable in length for adjusting ,the position of the path `ofmovement of said looper.

3. In a sewing machine employing a reciprocatingneedle, a looper'coacting with the needle of said machine, lan angle-'lever on whichsaid looper is located, a second lever 'on Vwhich said last-named leveris pivoted, a crank-arm for operating said levers, and a slot-and-pindrive-connection for Yoperating "said `crank-'arm 'and thereby`qi'iali'fying the speed of movement `of said looper relative to thespeed of movement 'of the needle.

4. In a two-thread sewing machine of the character 'described Vemployingla reciprocating needle having a thread-eye adjacent itsgoods-penetrating end, of a loop-talking looper having a thread-'eye'adjacent its looppiercing end, an angle-lever on which said looper islocated, a second lever on which said vangle-lever is pivoted,veccentric mecha- 4nisms for moving said levers for 'causing 'saidthread-eye of said looper to describe a closed path of movement aboutthe longitudinal projection of the goods-penetrating portion 'of theneedle which is substantially elliptical in form, the sides of said pathAof movement being closely adjacent to said longitudinal "projection,and means for driving said eccentric mechanisms comprising avariable-motion device for qualifying the speed of movement of saidlooper adjacent to one end of the path thereof with relation to itsspeed adjacent to the other end of its ath; Y p 5.Y In a two-threadsewing machine of the character described employing a reciprocatingneedle having a thread-eye adjacent to its piercingend, of a loop-takinglooper hav.- ing a thread-eye adjacent its loop-piercing end, a lever onwhich said looper is located, a second lever on which said looper-leveris pivoted, means for reciprocating said levers 'for causing movement ofsaid thread-eye of said looper in a closed path which is substantiallyelliptical, one side of which is more nearly parallel to the major axisof said substantially ellipticaly path than the other side thereof, saidside so more parallel being the needle-thread loop-piercing movement ofsaid looper, and means for retard- Y ing the movement of said looperadjacent :one of the limits of reciprocating movement describedemploying a reciprocating needle, a looper provided with a thread-eyehaving a substantially elliptical closed path of movement about the axisof the needle position, and means for imparting relatively differentspeeds to the thread-eye adjacent to the respective ends of the path ofmovement of said thread-eye including eccentrics, a lever actuating saideccentrics and a pivot on which said lever has lengthwise movement Yforcausing variations in speed of rotatation of said eccentrics duringportions of their rotations.

7. In a sewing machine of the character described employing areciprocating needle, a looper coacting with said needle, a lever onwhich said looper is pivoted, a lever on which said first-named lever ispivoted,ec centrics for operating said levers, and means for rotatingsaid eccentrics comprising a lever and a pivot on which said last-namedlever has longitudinal movement for causing variations in speed ofrotation of said eccentrics during portions of their rotations forcausing a dwell in the movement of said looper in a portion of saidsubstantially elliptical path.

8. in a sewing machine of the character described employing areciprocating needle, a looper coactinn; with said needle, a lever onwhich said looper is pivoted, a lever on which said first-named lever ispivoted, eccentrics i'or operating said levers, means for rotating saideecentrics comprising a lever and a pivot on which said last-named leverlo'oper in a portion of said substantially elliptical path, and meansfor adjusting the length of said second-named lever.

9. In a sewing machine of the character described employing areciprocating needle,

a looper coacting with said needle, a lever on which said looper ispivoted, a lever on which said first-named lever is pivoted, eccentricsand links for operating said levers, means for adjusting thearticulation of said second-named lever with its link for adj usting theeffective length of Ysaid link, means for rotating said eccentricscomprising a lever, a pivot therefor on ywhich said lastnamed lever haslongitudinal movement, a crank-arm actuating said eccentrics, and aslot-and-pin drive-connection between said last-named lever andcianlnarm, for causing variations in speed of rotation of saideccentrics during portions of their rotations for causing a dwell in themovement of said looper in a portion of said substantially ellipticalpath, and means for adjusting the length of said second-named lever.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HENRY H. FEFELL. Witnesses:

CHARLES E. WEBER, THEREsA M. SILBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

